MIAMI (WSVN) - Protests in South Florida against racial inequality and police brutality are making an impression on those who have been hurt the most.
Marc McDuffie said, “My father was tragically beaten on the streets of Miami.”
McDuffie was just a year old when his father, Arthur, was beaten by Miami-Dade Police officers in 1979 after he ran a red light.
When asked if he felt that the police took his father-son relationship away from him, McDuffie said, “Absolutely.”
Arthur, a marine veteran, died a few days after the beating.
The ensuing outcry became known as the McDuffie riots.
Four white Miami-Dade Police officers were tried, but an all white jury found them not guilty.
McDuffie said, “I believe there’s more awareness in these protests. I believe there’s more awareness and hopefully it can change things for the good.”
Sheila McNeil, whose son was killed in 2011, said, “I think it’s eye opening. Maybe it’ll bring about change.”
Her son Travis was unarmed when he was killed by a police officer during a traffic stop. The officer was terminated, but years later got reinstated.
McNeil said, “Officers have so many outs even when they’re caught dead wrong. It seems like nothing happens.”
McNeil said the protests since George Floyd’s death have been inspiring.
McNeil said, “That was the best part of it all. Just seeing it does matter to other races what happens to us and our children.”
McDuffie said he will be joining protests in Washington D.C. in August.
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